This invention relates to ditch-digging and pipe-laying equipment.
Irrigation systems using sprinkler heads or dripping tubes require the laying of pipes underground, both for aesthetic reasons and for limiting evaporation. Automatic irrigation systems using solenoid controlled valves requires a network of electrical cables which are often buried side by side with the water carrying pipes.
The common method for laying irrigation pipes and control cables underground is to dig a narrow trench to a depth of about twenty centimeters; to lay the pipe or cable into the trench; then to cover them with the soil previously removed from the trench. This operation requires a considerable amount of labor. The existing turf is partially destroyed, the disturbance of the soil often leaves a permanent scar, which may last for several months until the soil settles back to its original compactness.